Obama won’t act in Troy Davis execution case

NEW YORK — US President Barack Obama will not intervene in the Troy Davis capital punishment case which has sparked protests, because it is “not appropriate” to become involved in specific state cases, a spokesman said Wednesday.

“Dating back to his time in the Illinois State Senate, President Obama has worked to ensure accuracy and fairness in the criminal justice system, especially in capital punishment cases,” Press Secretary Jay Carney said ahead of the planned execution.

“However, it is not appropriate for the president of the United States to weigh in on specific cases like this one, which is a state prosecution.”

The comments came as Davis’s lawyers were filing last-ditch appeals to delay the execution of the man in Georgia for his conviction in the 1989 killing of a police officer.

A legion of Davis supporters contend there is evidence supporting his innocence, but the courts have not been swayed.

The president cannot pardon Davis, because he was convicted of a state crime. But he could delay the execution by ordering a federal investigation into the case.